The Jerusalem Chamber » Podcast

This special episode is a Q&A of all things related to chapter five. Thanks for those who sent in questions. Tune in as we discuss:can you help me understand first and second causes better? I think Kyle is right, will you give evidence of how the early church fathers and our Presbyterian founders understood miracles? If God is providentially in control of all things why do I need to pray? What does it look like for a person to be blinded and hardened? How can I see God as being gracious in chastisements?

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How would you distinguish between God’s general care of his creation and his special care for the church? How do we see God caring for his church in the Old Testament? How do we see God caring for his church in history? Even when the church tries to ruin itself what are some examples of God preserving it? How does God use enemies to save his church? What significance does Romans 8:28 have? Tune in as Nathan, Joel, Shawn, and Kyle discuss these questions and more from WCF 5.7:

As the providence of God does, in general, reach to all creatures; so, after a most special manner, it takes care of His Church, and disposes all things to the good thereof.

https://jerusalemchamber.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ep-5-7-preserving-providence.mp3

For More Resources on Today’s Topic Check These Out…

The Providence of God by GK Berkouwer

Divine Providence by Stephen Charnock

The Mystery of Providence by John Flavel

The Providence of God by Paul Helm

The Secret Providence of God by Paul Helm

Behind a Frowning Providence by John J Murray

Jehovah-Jireh: A Treatise on Providence by William Plumer

Providence Handled Practically by Obadiah Sedgwick

What is Providence? by Derek Thomas

On Providence by Ulrich Zwingli

What defines the people in this paragraph as wicked? Why has God blinded them for their former sins? What happens when the grace of God shines in the heart versus what we read in this paragraph? What gifts are the wicked given? Where do we read about the world, the flesh, and the devil? Tune in as we discuss these questions and more as Nathan, Joel, Shawn, and Kyle talk about WCF 5.6:

As for those wicked and ungodly men whom God, as a righteous Judge, for former sins, does blind and harden, from them He not only withholds His grace whereby they might have been enlightened in their understandings, and wrought upon in their hearts; but sometimes also withdraws the gifts which they had, and exposes them to such objects as their corruption makes occasion of sin; and, withal, gives them over to their own lusts, the temptations of the world, and the power of Satan, whereby it comes to pass that they harden themselves, even under those means which God uses for the softening of others.

https://jerusalemchamber.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ep-5-6-hardening-providence.mp3

For More Resources on Today’s Topic Check These Out…

The Providence of God by GK Berkouwer

Divine Providence by Stephen Charnock

The Mystery of Providence by John Flavel

The Providence of God by Paul Helm

The Secret Providence of God by Paul Helm

Behind a Frowning Providence by John J Murray

Jehovah-Jireh: A Treatise on Providence by William Plumer

Providence Handled Practically by Obadiah Sedgwick

What is Providence? by Derek Thomas

On Providence by Ulrich Zwingli

Why does God allow his children to be left to seasons of temptation? What does it mean for God to chasten for former sin? What is hidden corruption? Is God’s leaving his children contrary to the Lord’s Prayer? How does God expose the deceitfulness of the heart? What holy ends does God purpose for his punishing providences? Tune in as we discuss these questions and more as Nathan, Joel, Shawn, and Kyle talk about WCF 5.5:

The most wise, righteous, and gracious God does oftentimes leave, for a season, His own children to manifold temptations, and the corruption of their own hearts, to chastise them for their former sins, or to discover unto them the hidden strength of corruption and deceitfulness of their hearts, that they may be humbled; and, to raise them to a more close and constant dependence for their support upon Himself, and to make them more watchful against all future occasions of sin, and for sundry other just and holy ends.

https://jerusalemchamber.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ep-5-5-a-punishing-providence.mp3

For More Resources on Today’s Topic Check These Out…

The Providence of God by GK Berkouwer

Divine Providence by Stephen Charnock

The Mystery of Providence by John Flavel

The Providence of God by Paul Helm

The Secret Providence of God by Paul Helm

Behind a Frowning Providence by John J Murray

Jehovah-Jireh: A Treatise on Providence by William Plumer

Providence Handled Practically by Obadiah Sedgwick

What is Providence? by Derek Thomas

On Providence by Ulrich Zwingli

How as pastors have you interacted with the so-called problem of evil? Why do you think the problem of evil has shipwrecked the faith of so many people? How do non-Reformed people try to solve this problem? What is meant by “not by bare permission”? What are the holy ends of God in ordering sin? How have some Reformed theologians answered the question? Tune in as we discuss these questions and more as Nathan, Joel, Shawn, and Kyle talk about WCF 5.4:

The almighty power, unsearchable wisdom, and infinite goodness of God so far manifest themselves in His providence, that it extends itself even to the first fall, and all other sins of angels and men; and that not by a bare permission, but such as has joined with it a most wise and powerful bounding, and otherwise ordering, and governing of them, in a manifold dispensation, to His own holy ends; yet so, as the sinfulness thereof proceeds only from the creature, and not from God, who, being most holy and righteous, neither is nor can be the author or approver of sin.

https://jerusalemchamber.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ep-5-4-problem-of-evil.mp3

For More Resources on Today’s Topic Check These Out…

The Providence of God by GK Berkouwer

Divine Providence by Stephen Charnock

The Mystery of Providence by John Flavel

The Providence of God by Paul Helm

The Secret Providence of God by Paul Helm

Behind a Frowning Providence by John J Murray

Jehovah-Jireh: A Treatise on Providence by William Plumer

Providence Handled Practically by Obadiah Sedgwick

What is Providence? by Derek Thomas

On Providence by Ulrich Zwingli

Do miracles still happen? Joel says “Yes,” Kyle says, “No,” and Nathan only gives a non-committed “Maybe.” What is a miracle? What is a special act of providence? What are biblical examples of God working without, above, and against his ordinary providence? What does this paragraph say to the spirit of the age? Tune in as we discuss these questions and more as Nathan, Joel, Shawn, and Kyle talk about WCF 5.3:

God, in His ordinary providence, makes use of means, yet is free to work without, above, and against them, at His pleasure.

https://jerusalemchamber.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/ep-5-3-miracles-and-special-providence.mp3

For More Resources on Today’s Topic Check These Out…

Mercy Revealed by Jerry Bilkes

The Miracles of Jesus by Vern Poythress

Counterfeit Miracles by BB Warfield

And…

The Providence of God by GK Berkouwer

Divine Providence by Stephen Charnock

The Mystery of Providence by John Flavel

The Providence of God by Paul Helm

The Secret Providence of God by Paul Helm

Behind a Frowning Providence by John J Murray

Jehovah-Jireh: A Treatise on Providence by William Plumer

Providence Handled Practically by Obadiah Sedgwick

What is Providence? by Derek Thomas

On Providence by Ulrich Zwingli

What do we mean when we say God is the first cause? What does immutable and infallible mean in God’s providential care? Is God the cause of evil? Is evil part of God’s providential design? What is a necessary cause? A free cause? A contingent cause? What encouragement can be given to those who facing frowning providence? How bold should we be with this truth in the midst of suffering? These are some of the questions we discuss in this week’s episode. Join Joel, Shawn, Nathan, and Kyle as they discuss WCF 5.2:

Although, in relation to the foreknowledge and decree of God, the first Cause, all things come to pass immutably, and infallibly; yet, by the same providence, He orders them to fall out, according to the nature of second causes, either necessarily, freely, or contingently.

https://jerusalemchamber.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/ep-5-2-first-and-second-causes.mp3

For More Resources on Today’s Topic Check These Out…

The Providence of God by GK Berkouwer

Divine Providence by Stephen Charnock

The Mystery of Providence by John Flavel

The Providence of God by Paul Helm

The Secret Providence of God by Paul Helm

Behind a Frowning Providence by John J Murray

Jehovah-Jireh: A Treatise on Providence by William Plumer

Providence Handled Practically by Obadiah Sedgwick

What is Providence? by Derek Thomas

On Providence by Ulrich Zwingli

How do we define providence and where do we go in the Bible to understand it? What similarities does this paragraph have with other Reformed confessions? How is God’s providence seen from the least to the greatest? How can we pastor people who are going through difficult providence? What is the aim of God’s providential governing of all things? These are some of the questions we discuss in this week’s episode. Join Joel, Shawn, Nathan, and Kyle as they discuss WCF 5.1:

God the great Creator of all things does uphold, direct, dispose, and govern all creatures, actions, and things, from the greatest even to the least, by His most wise and holy providence, according to His infallible foreknowledge, and the free and immutable counsel of His own will, to the praise of the glory of His wisdom, power, justice, goodness, and mercy.

https://jerusalemchamber.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/ep-5-1-panoramic-providence.mp3

For More Resources on Today’s Topic Check These Out…

The Providence of God by GK Berkouwer

Divine Providence by Stephen Charnock

The Mystery of Providence by John Flavel

The Providence of God by Paul Helm

The Secret Providence of God by Paul Helm

Behind a Frowning Providence by John J Murray

Jehovah-Jireh: A Treatise on Providence by William Plumer

Providence Handled Practically by Obadiah Sedgwick

What is Providence? by Derek Thomas

On Providence by Ulrich Zwingli

Today we are really excited to present our listeners with this excellent interview with Dr. Andy McIntosh (and his Wikipedia page here) Dr. McIntosh earned his PhD in Aeronautics from Cranfield, and is now a retired professor from the University of Leeds in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, where he continues as a visiting research professor in combustion theory and thermodynamics.

https://jerusalemchamber.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/special-episode-andy-mcintosh.mp3

He is a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications, the Institute of Energy, the Institute of Physics and the Royal Aeronautical Society. He is a charted mathematician and engineer, and author of over 180 papers and articles, his research has been in combustion in fluids and solids. His research in biomimetics with the minute combustion chamber of the bombardier beetle has led to technological advances and earned him the 2010 Times Higher Education award for Outstanding Contribution to Innovation and Technology.

Dr. McIntosh is committed to intelligent design, young earth creation, and a literal understanding of “day” in Genesis both theologically and scientifically. Join us as we discuss questions like: As a scientist, why do you think its important for pastors, theologians, and church leaders to be 6-day, young earth creationists? What presuppositions are leading to reformed and evangelical churches abandoning the clear reading of the term “in the space of six days”? What is the relationship between the fact that the Bible is not a science book and the Bible being our starting point for doing science?

In addition to this interview here’s a list of resources you may find worthwhile:

Genesis For Today (5th Edition)

“Information and Thermodynamics in Living Systems” in Biological Information — New Perspectives: Proceedings of a Symposium Held May 31, 2011 Through June 3, 2011 at Cornell University

Should Christians Embrace Evolution edited by Norman Nevin

See also…

The Quest for the Historical Adam by William VanDoodewaard

This special episode is a Q&A of all things related to chapter four. Thanks for those who sent in questions. Tune in as we discuss: What are some of the creation theories that are commonly accepted in Reformed circles? Are there good reasons to believe in a 6 day 24-hour creation? How would we respond to the best arguments against a 6/24 creation? Should Presbyterian churches redefine “in the space of six days”? What is the relationship between faith and science? What does the image of God have to do with social problems in our culture?

https://jerusalemchamber.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/chpt-4-q-and-a.mp3